It's the juiciest, sweetest festival of the year in Plant City: The Florida Strawberry Festival opens Feb. 28. Credit: unsplash

It’s the juiciest, sweetest festival of the year in Plant City: The Florida Strawberry Festival opens Feb. 28. Credit: unsplash

There’s nothing like strawberry shortcake. Unless it’s fresh strawberries. Or strawberry pie. Or… aw, hell, you get the idea. The mecca of tiny beautiful berries — the Florida Strawberry Festival — returns to Plant City for its annual run. Sure, you know about the live music and the rides, but have you ever seen the crowning of the Strawberry Queen? It’s a red pageant to behold. Find your strawberry bliss, however you want it, at the fest.

Strawberry Festival | Plant City | Through March 10 | flstrawberryfestival.com

This article appears in Feb 21-28, 2019.

Cathy's portfolio includes pieces for Visit Florida, USA Today and regional and local press. In 2016, UPF published Backroads of Paradise, her travel narrative about retracing the WPA-era Florida driving...